The long way to Anglesey (and back)
Last month we hosted the summer finale of our audax series, the 1000km London-Anglesey-London, which takes riders all the way from Raynes Park to the island of Anglesey off the northwest coast of Wales. A brutally hot heatwave provided testing conditions for the riders, many of whom had to scratch due to the heat. Two of our intrepid members Ellen and Adam report back on their rather epic rides.
Adam Cook
Thirty of us rolled out of Raynes Park Scout Hut at 10pm on Wednesday 8th July for Kingston Wheelers’ London–Anglesey–London 1000, into a hot night that set the tone for what was to come. A big paceline formed almost immediately and we made quick, efficient progress west through the dark towards Oxford. Me, my dad, and three others formed a good group early and rode as a five all the way through the night and into the next day – a strong, steady pace that put us well ahead of schedule by morning.
Day one: London to Porthmadog (465km, 4,000m)
The route ran out through Oxford and Tewkesbury before crossing into Wales via Hay-on-Wye, Builth Wells and Devil’s Bridge, then down to Machynlleth and the coast at Aberdyfi before the final push to Portmadog. Hot from midday onwards, with some stunning scenery through the Cambrian Mountains. We rolled into the Porthmadog Travelodge at 7:30pm, straight into fish and chips and a raid on the nearby Tesco. Seven hours’ sleep which was the best of the trip.
Day two: the hot & hilly (360km, 4,350m)
By this point the group of five had drifted apart at their own paces, and it was just me and my dad from here on. This day was shorter on paper, but with all the climbing packed into the middle of the day, right through the hottest hours. Up over Pen-y-Pass first thing, with a lovely, fast descent on the other side, then out to the Anglesey turn via Llanerchymedd before the long haul back down to Welshpool – 1,700m of climbing in that one stretch alone. This day was absolutely savage. Into the evening we picked up Dean, who joined us after a puncture, he was the only other rider we saw all day. We reached Worcester at 03:30am – Sleep was poor as the hotel room was too hot, so the next morning’s recovery plan was a full Travelodge breakfast to load up on sugar and salt.
Day three: home straight (200km, 1,600m)
A late 10am start after a rough night. Easy on paper, harder in practice – sore everything, plus a gentle headwind. The roads back down through Eynsham, the Cotswold lanes and Henley were rolling and quiet, a nice contrast to the previous two days, and a few well-timed ice creams helped through the low-to-mid-30s heat. Back at the Scout Hut by 8:45pm, greeted by Richard, David, Aidan, and Sean with a well-earned Punk IPA and an excellent pasta from Lucas’s wife – just in time to get home for the England vs Norway football. Really didn’t need the extra time there!
Credit to Richard and the KWCC team for putting on a great event. Dad and I, like a few others out there, were riding it partly as a qualifier towards PBP next year. Sore hands, sore shoulders, but plenty learned for next time.
Ellen Lockett
What an epic adventure!
Four of us rolled out of London at 10 pm and immediately got swept along in a fast chain gang heading west. No regrets – it was a brilliant way to get through the flat roads, and we reached our first hotel around 7.15 pm. The hotel itself was dreadful, but I managed nearly five hours of proper sleep, which made all the difference.
Day two was brutal.
Relentless hills, relentless heat, and some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever ridden through. Climbing up towards Snowdonia was incredible. The turning point at Anglesey was gloriously Audax – a Co-op, a public toilet and a car park. We’d ridden nearly 550km for the privilege. Somehow, it was perfect, but the final 100 km into Welshpool included around 1,700 m of climbing after an already huge day. Add sheep appearing from under every bit of shade on the descents and a chain that seemed determined to fall off every few miles, and it was a proper test of patience. I arrived at the second hotel at 1.30 am completely exhausted. Beautiful hotel, but far too hot to sleep.
Despite feeling dreadful when I woke up, the final day turned out to be a really enjoyable ride. The original group naturally split up, I caught up with an old riding friend, and later we found Jen – the only other woman on the event – riding strongly on her own. She joined us, and with just over 50 km to go, Andy suffered a catastrophic tubeless sidewall puncture. We waited as long as we could, but eventually had to push on if we were going to finish in time.
After one final stop, it became an unexpected all-women team time trial back into London. Jen and I absolutely flew, working together all the way to the finish. It was such a fun way to end three unforgettable days.
There were highs and lows: heat, sleep deprivation, sore hands, saddle sores, raw skin, too many painkillers, and a bike that desperately needs to visit the mechanic after repeatedly throwing its chain.
But there was also incredible scenery, fantastic company, lots of laughs, teamwork, and the satisfaction of sharing such a huge challenge with some wonderful people.
Massive thanks to everyone I rode with.
Now… I think I’ll sit down for a while.
